Guess the mystery object

[canetoad]

Clue 1: Photographed within 10kms of my home
Clue 2: Alive

[redwitch]

1. Zinnia?

Or some alien life form.

[canetoad]

2. No, very earthly

But not terrestrial. I've seen two others before this, but either dead or dying.

[Beakybird]

3. A raspberry?

If you've only seen a few your whole life then you're obviously food deprived.

[canetoad]

4. Does that

Look like a raspberry to you?

[TwistOneUp]

5. Almost...

Looks like a buncha almonds arranged in some artful presentation... Did Martha Stewart make this? lol

[canetoad]

6. You didn't even read the clues!

It's alive.

[Donkees]

7. Coral

[Donkees]

16. images ...

[Donkees]

17. Video:

[canetoad]

18. Yes!

Those look like variants of the mystery object.

[Donkees]

22. How about this ...

[Squinch]

8. Coral?

[GeorgeGist]

9. A spore on Trump's face.

[Sedona]

10. Bacteria ? A virus?

[zanana1]

11. Sea sponge?

[Louis1895]

12. Some sort of sea anemone?

Is that its mouth in the center?

Poisonous?

[canetoad]

19. We have a winner!

I'll post full answer at end of thread. Your prize is in the mail.

[jpak]

13. Madreporite of a sea star?

[Generic Brad]

14. Was this taken with an electron microscope?

It's reminiscent of pictures I have seen that were taken at the cellular level.

[canetoad]

21. Nope

Just a waterproof, point and shoot digital.

[Fla Dem]

15. Ocean coral.

10km is about 6.5 miles. Your bio says you live on the coast. So coral about 6.5 miles from your house.

[canetoad]

23. Close

But too cold for coral here.

[canetoad]

20. The winner is....

Louis1895.

The object is Phlyctenactis tuberculosa - The Wandering or Swimming Anemone. I found this one under about 30cm (1 foot) of water at the edge of a rock pool. It is about the size of a softball. The come in various colours and shapes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlyctenactis_tuberculosa

[Donkees]

24. Hurray!!!

[canetoad]

25. You found some good pix

The first two I found - they were in pretty bad shape, decaying and falling apart. I thought they may have been some kind of eggs. This one was healthy and very beautiful and is probably on its way to New Zealand by now.

[Louis1895]

27. It is beautiful!!

It is beautiful!

Are those other anemones around it?

[canetoad]

28. No, that's some kind of seaweed

Or algae. The coast near here is a marine park because of the extensive rocky shelves and reefs, so there is a heap of interesting things living there. In summer I spend hours with a waterproof camera on a selfie stick, shoving it into dark recesses in rock pools to photograph things that folk don't normally see.

[Squinch]

29. Dammit! I was just about to say Phlyctenactis tuberculosa!

[procon]

26. Spectacular photo of a strange glowing creature I've never seen before. nt